Harry Potter and the Children of the Ying Yang
by AngelZash
Summary: ~Severitus Challenge Answer~ Harry's in his third year at Hogwarts and a new pair of mischievous twins have arrived. Will the school survive? And what secret do they hold the key to? Chapter 4 is up and under Chapter 5
1. Meet the Day Twins

Kay, a small raven-haired ten year old, was chasing a puppy through the house, well, originally she had been, now she was just crawling into the closet, hiding. She giggled lightly and grinned as she saw the lightly gleaming eyes of the pup, staring back at her. She grinned back at May, wondering if she was aware that the chase had turned into a game, something like hide-and-seek, with their parents. Except, their parents didn't know it. She giggled again, forcing herself to be quieter as she knelt there on her hands and knees.  
  
May grinned mischievously back at Kay, her bright green eyes sparkling with mirth. She reached out to pet the pup with a soft giggle. "Think Mommy will find us here, Kay?"  
  
Kay grinned widely, eyes shining like gems in the half-light as she too pet the puppy. "Not for a while I hope," she whispered through giggles. This was fun!  
  
"SHHH," May hushed her sister with a giggle as she heard their mother step lightly down the hall. She felt sure her mother was looking for them, but she never called for them and that was unusual. Finally she heard her father speak softly to her mother in his rough male voice. "Sweetheart, we can't let them go. I know you want them to take after their father--"  
  
"Turning out like their father has nothing to do with it, because, though I would love for them to turn out like you, hon, it's just not possible to keep them here. Surely you can see that..."  
  
"Their powers will dim if we just leave it alone. I don't want them going to some stupid boarding school! They're my daughters, dammit," their father replied hotly.  
  
May gasped and slapped her hands over her mouth, her eyes huge and terrified she had given them away. Her brain didn't seem to want to work anymore and she hugged the puppy to her as she cuddled to her sister.  
  
"Daddy's not Daddy," she asked weakly.  
  
  
  
Kay held back a whimper, trying to be strong as she listened, trying to comfort her sister. She said nothing. What could be said. Besides, she couldn't seem to voice any words. She just sat there, her back stiff as she let her sister lean against her. "I guess not," she finally breathed, working hard to speak even that.  
  
"Their powers won't dim, and they will just get themselves into trouble! You know what happens! I don't want to send them either, but we have to," their mother argued.  
  
May shivered and kissed her sister's cheek. She snuggled in and listened reluctantly to her mother's reply.  
  
"But-- they're," their father replied in a choked voice.  
  
It prompted May to ask her sister in a hushed voice, "Is Daddy crying, Kay," before he could continue.  
  
"What if he finds out? You never told him that you were pregnant, did you? What if he wants them? I'm not sharing my daughters!"  
  
Kay leaned in against her sister as she listened, refusing to answer May's question, especially not to herself. She put her arms around her sister's shoulders as comfortingly as she could, but remained silent, gaining comfort from her gesture of comforting.  
  
Their mother's voice came through then, half-comforting and half- determined, "He won't want them baby, and if he does they are ours, but even so, we have to risk it. For their sake we do, surely you want to do what's best for them, don't you?"  
  
"Of course I do," he exclaimed sounding exasperated. "I just don't want them hurt or caught in the middle of a custody battle. Don't forget, I'm the father that raised them!"  
  
May hugged the puppy closer and let silent tears fall from her now sea green eyes. The puppy, not understanding what could make his mistress so sad, licked her tears, nuzzling her occasionally as it did.  
  
"I know that, and they do," there was a pause, "but it won't come to that. I'm sure it won't. You have to trust me that he wouldn't, even if he did find out. I know him, remember? You have to let them go, just for now. Surely you would rather this then have them become outcasts, freaks to everyone that they know..."  
  
Kay listened in silence, holding her sister close as her lip quivered softly, the only sign of any sort of reaction to this. Everything would be ok, it had to be, surely it had to be?  
  
"I thought we were already freaks..." May said quietly, snuggling into her sister's embrace.  
  
Kay grinned a bit then, taking it what their mom had said, and then she whispered to May, humor lacing her tone, "She says it like it's a bad thing." Personally she liked being a freak, it made life more interesting.  
  
May giggled, "Yeah, I like only being similar to you."  
  
"Fine," their father said after a few moments of silence. "Do what you want. They will go. But I don't pretend to like it."  
  
There was another long pause before their mother continued, "I don't like it either, but it is for the best."  
  
They heard their father sigh and his slow, heavy footsteps leaving the house, the screen door slamming shut behind him.  
  
Kay giggled softly, hugging her sister more tightly for a moment, "We are freaks together," she paused catching her sisters eyes with her own matching pair, "forever?"  
  
May grinned, her green eyes sparkling once more, "Forever!" She leapt forward and hugged her sister tightly, laughing softly so that their mother wouldn't hear.  
  
By some chance of fortune, the puppy hadn't yelped, but merely squirmed as it was pressed between the two, whimpering indignantly, but softly. Kay giggled, keeping her voice down, but said no more as a smile spread across her face. Whatever happened...they would be together.  
  
"Kay," May asked, her voice taking on the tone that warned of her dangerous curious tendencies coming to bear.  
  
Kay tilted her head lightly, eyes sparkling, "Yes May?"  
  
"Think our real Daddy is at the school where we're going," she looked into her twin's identical green eyes, her hands absently petting the soft fur of the wriggling puppy.  
  
Kay tilted her head a moment, chewing softly on her lip, before nodding. "Sounds like...Why?"  
  
"You think we could maybe find him? I wanna know what he's like," May said, looking slightly sheepish. "Why didn't he want us?"  
  
"I bet he don't know, sounds like," she grinned then, "I hope we can find him." Her eyes were alight with a rare moment of serious contemplation, "I'd like to know him too."  
  
"But Mommy said he wouldn't even if had known," May couldn't help pointing out. "Maybe we should surprise him when we find him! Maybe if we actually do well, he'll want to at least know us too."  
  
Kay shrugged, and then grinned brightly, "I bet he will, and we can have fun surprising him with it. Imagine, a second daddy." She paused her eyes suddenly alight, "More presents!"  
  
May clapped her hands and grinned, "Yes! And then maybe we'll even have other brothers and sisters to tease and play with. Wouldn't that be fun?"  
  
Kay grinned mischievously, "Yes, very, I can't wait to go!" She giggled again, smiling widely now.  
  
"Wanna go find Mommy," May asked excitedly. "Maybe she'll tell us now!"  
  
Kay grinned brightly her eyes alight and shimmering like gems as she nodded rapidly, "Yeah, yeah, let's find her. K, May?" She giggled after the question, her whole mood bright and a bit mischievous.  
  
"Kay Day," May chirped, titling her head. Her bright green eyes flashed with mischief as she rushed to stand and make her way out of the closet. She checked quickly, poking her raven-haired head from out the door before bounding out, the puppy at her heels.  
  
Kay followed, grinning as she darted out after her sister, bumping into her back at the pause to look around. He grin widened as her eyes darted around. Now, to find their Mommy.  
  
The puppy leapt and ran around the twins' feet as they searched the house. Suddenly, May turned to her sister, almost causing Kay to fall over in her abruptness, "We can't let Mommy know." Then, just as suddenly, she brightened and grinned, slapping a hand out to her sister, "Tag!" With that, she took off running.  
  
Kay grinned chasing after her sister with a laugh, chasing her as fast as she could, and being extra careful not to run into anything. Only because doing so would slow her down.  
  
May squealed as her sister almost caught her and tripped over a shoe. She sprawled on the floor, stunned for a moment, before looking up to the worried expressions of her mother and sister.  
  
Kay skidded to a halt just short of tripping over her sprawled sister, looking down, worried before looking up sheepishly to her mom.  
  
"Hi, Mommy," piped up May from her place on the floor.  
  
Their mom stood there, looking at her daughters and shaking her head as she knelt down, helping May up so that she could take both of them in a hug as she cleared her throat, trying to begin. "You two are going to a new school next year...very far from here, called Hogwarts, to teach you to use your unique gifts," she paused as tears welled in her throat, "I'm going to miss you, but it will help you."  
  
May reached out to her mother's face, her heart squeezing and the sparkle in her eyes dimming, "Mommy, you're crying..."  
  
Kay leaned into the hug not understanding her mom's tears totally, knowing she would be going far away, but not understanding how it was so bad. She would miss her mommy though, a lot.  
  
"We'll be together, Mommy," May said softly. Then she grinned, "Nothing can happen to us when we're together!"  
  
"I'm just. going to miss you two... so much," their mom said softly, a smile spreading gently across her lips as she released them, standing up fully. "Try to keep out of trouble, now, won't you?"  
  
"We're perfect little angels, Mommy," May cried. "Kay Day?"  
  
Kay grinned. "Right, nothing at all, no trouble even," she said brightly, though her fingers were crossed behind her back at the last statement, "Yup, we're angels."  
  
Their mother shook her head, trying to hold back a bit of laughter, "Most mischievous pair of angels I've ever seen."  
  
"What's our new school like, Mommy," May asked suddenly, pushing forward into her mother's embrace.  
  
Their mom tilted her head lightly, more then a bit suspicious at their behavior, but choosing to let it slide. "It will be... fun, lots of boys and girls with unique gifts like yours. Special kids that you can make friends with," she paused, grinning "And I don't know what else really, I am not as special as you two, and have never been there."  
  
"Can they turn people's hair green like me? Or make mean teachers float out the window like Kay," May asked even more excitedly now. Her eyes were almost glinting with pleasure.  
  
Kay grinned widely, looking to her mommy, waiting for answers to her sister's questions. She wanted to know too!  
  
Their mother shook her head, her face almost scolding, "Yes, though I don't think most are as gifted as that before going to school."  
  
May giggled, "Kay Day! We're still special!" She bounced where she was at, he shoulder-length raven hair bouncing right along with her.  
  
Kay grinned widely and bounced to, caught in with her sister's mood. "This is gonna be fun." She Stopped jumping abruptly, "So when are we going?"  
  
May stopped as well and turned large inquiring eyes on her mother.  
  
Their mother just sighed softly, "Soon enough, now... go get washed up. You two are filthy."  
  
"But..." May said disappointed.  
  
Kay grabbed her sister's arm, pulling her along away from their mom as she left. "Come on May," she whispered into her ear, "We will figure it out as we go." She was silent for a long moment then, grinning impishly as she released her sister's arm, before hitting it lightly, "tag!" With that, she bolted back down the hallway.  
  
"Kay," May squealed as she set off after her sister, nearly tripping again over the little brown puppy that had finally caught up to them. "Come back!"  
  
***************************************************  
  
  
  
May burst through the brick wall and into Diagon Alley. She hadn't really wanted to leave the pub with all its interesting people, but Mommy had been right! This place was much much better! People were strolling down the streets wear their funny long dresses and cloaks and not all of them were even human. Owls flew through the streets and cats trotted alongside their humans. May squealed in excitement, deciding she would not rest until she had explored every nook and cranny of this place!  
  
Kay followed behind her sister, looking around with eyes as big and round as coins. "Wow," she half whispered before looking to her sister. "Where to first?" she half yelped out in excitement.  
  
May remained silent, too excited to even notice her sister's question. "KayDay!KayDay! Look! It's so strange," she exclaimed.  
  
"Yes May Day, May Day," she exclaimed back pausing before continuing, "Let's get a pet!" She giggled, pointing at the cat's walking by with their owners, "Wanna go get a pet?"  
  
May's eyes lit up as she saw the cat Kay was pointing at, "Kitty!" She turned to their mother who was frankly looking overwhelmed, "Mommy, Mommy! I wanna kitty!"  
  
Mrs. Day sighed, once again glad that she had already come and gotten her money changed the day before, "Alright, alright. You can each pick out a cat." She watched as her daughters cheered and raced towards a nearby pet shop. "Be good," she told them, as she paid the lady behind the counter in advance. "And wait for me here, I'm going to go get some of your supplies."  
  
"Kay Mommy, we'll be good!" Her fingers were crossed of course, as she began looking over the animals to find a kitty she liked.  
  
May nodded absently as she ran her bright green eyes over the cats, not even bothering to notice as her mother left her and her sister alone in the Pet Shop.  
  
Kay's eyes suddenly caught a Persian, and she grabbed May's arm, pointing with the other hand, "Look!" She grinned brightly, "I like that one!"  
  
May nodded distractedly, her own eyes catching sight of a lounging calico. "I want that one," she cried, pointing at her own cat.  
  
Kay's eyes caught a mischievous light as she looked between the two cats, and then to the other animals. "I bet all of them want loose," she whispered, barely audibly, to her sister.  
  
May nodded, taking her cat as the lady from behind the counter extracted her. The cat mewed at her and she giggled even as one of her hands slipped unseen out to pop the latch to the other cats cages.  
  
Kay was slowly but surely doing the same thing as she happily took her own kitty in her arms, hugging it gently, still moving and opening latches unseen.  
  
It seemed to take a while for the cat's to realize their newfound freedom but when one did, all sprang forth, issuing from the cages in a flood of multi-colored fur. To put it lightly the lady who worked in this shop was dismayed and confused. Kay stood there a long moment, grinning widely as she held her new cat before glancing to her sister, and gesturing the exit with her chin. They needed to get out of there before the lady grabbed them and they got in trouble. She was moving quickly, and out the door before the poor lady even realized it, several cats coming out at her heels.  
  
May followed her sister, her new cat mewling in confusion from it's spot in her arms. "Kay Day! Where do we go now? I wanna explore," she called up to her sister.  
  
Kay shrugged picking a random shop and pointing, "How bout there?" Her smile grew as she saw what it was. Potions, well... that could make for some fun.  
  
May followed Kay's finger and say the place she had suggested. It was dark and old, with barrels of interesting-looking stuff outside and creaky looking stairs leading up into the dimly-lit interior. Above the doorway was a sign announcing its occupation of a Potions Shop. It looked very intriguing to May.  
  
"Kay Day," she yelled, changing direction to head for the place.  
  
Kay virtually leapt after her sister, anxious to see the inside of this place, her mind tingling with excitement at what treasures this dark little shop might hold. Hugging her new kitty close to her she peered at it with large green eyes. Eyes that seemed almost innocent...almost  
  
This place was truly very interesting to May. She wasn't even scared of its dark corners or the floaty things in the bottles on the shelves. "Kay Day," she said, breathless in her excitement. "I like it here..."  
  
Kay's eyes darted around and she grinned widely. "This is great," she breathed, eyes focusing on everything in the semi-darkness. It was an amazing place, full of things that no doubt had great potential for fun or mischief. She didn't even notice as she accidentally dropped her Persian, her attention totally enwrapped in what she saw.  
  
May wandered around a corner and, looking up in her amazed perusal of the tall shelves, noticed a section of shelves with very interesting bottles full of green cloudy stuff. She loved green; it was her favorite color.  
  
"Kay Day, look at this," she called back to her sister. She dropped her new cat and began climbing up the shelves to the bottle without even waiting for her sister. She never noticed as a scowling man began to turn the corner of the bookcase she was climbing.  
  
Kay's eyes widened as May began climbing, not because she was climbing, but because of the man coming around the corner. "May," she hissed loudly, "may- day!" Her eyes darted back to the man and she backed away, trying to find something with which to distract him lest he get her sister into trouble.  
  
"What," May said, turning slightly to see her sister. That move was her undoing. Her foot slipped and then her body almost lifted off the shelves as she lost her grip. She fell, luckily not hitting a single shelf, but unfortunately batting the bottle she had so wanted to see down and onto the startled man dressed all in black that caught her.  
  
"Oopsy," she said, terror rolling through her stomach and forcing her eyes wide. "I'm in trouble."  
  
"Yes," breathed the man as he dropped her to the floor and reach up to wipe the green and awful smelling gook from his face, "you are. Where is your silly twit of a mother?"  
  
Kay grabbed May's hand to pull her away from the dark and rather angry looking man, backing away with her, only to realize that the man stood between them and any way out. They were backed into a corner. Her nose wrinkled as she pushed May behind her, glaring at the man, "Our Mom is not a silly twit!"  
  
"You're going to be a Gryffindor, aren't you," the tall, dark man breathed, though not too deeply. That green gloop did not smell at all nice. "Where are your parents? Answer me quickly before I have you arrested," the man's nostrils flared dramatically, scaring poor May. But only for a moment; it had been too much and he had started coughing from the fumes of the green stuff that now covered him.  
  
Kay giggled, unable to help herself as she shrugged. "Dunno, and dunno," she paused, giggling a bit more, despite the smell coming from the man as she tried to eye some sort of escape route. Looked like they were both in trouble now.  
  
May snickered before leaping out from behind her sister and grabbing her cat, which was batting at the man's long black robes as though they were a mouse and so something to play with.  
  
The man's long thin fingers reached down and grabbed her as she straightened up, "You're not going anywhere, you little brat. We're going to wait right here until your mother comes to claim you..."  
  
May squeaked in pain and terror, struggling to get away and squeezing her poor cat, which was not happy with the situation in the least.  
  
Kay leapt forward, doing the first thing she could think of and regretting it afterwards. She bit down on the man's arm as hard as she could.  
  
The man threw the both of them away as he reacted to the pain from Kay's bite. He hissed in pain and grabbed his arm, "You little..."  
  
Kay glanced up at the professor, almost glaring. It was then she noticed a raven-haired newcomer with bright emerald eyes. Those eyes darted between all three for a split second, seeming to try to figure out what was happening. "Professor Snape," he exclaimed questioningly, interrupting the man mid-sentence.  
  
Snape glared over at the tousled hair youth, "Potter. I should have known you had something to do with this."  
  
May looked between the two, suddenly intrigued once more.  
  
Kay tilted her head, confused, "But, we've never met him, how could he be with us?" Her bright eyes were dimmed with confusion as she looked between the older boy and the man.  
  
Harry's glance darted from Snape to the girl who had spoken and back again. "Something to do with what Professor," he asked, his nose wrinkling suddenly as he too noticed the stench coming from the fluid that had spread over much of the dark man.  
  
"I fell," May admitted with a sniffle, crouching behind Kay with her cat held tightly in her small, thin arms.  
  
"Yes," Snape hissed at her angrily, "you fell. You stupid little brat. Your parents should keep a tighter reign on you."  
  
"I'm sorry..." May told him fearfully.  
  
Kay growled as she glared at the man, "Leave my sister alone you... you mean old man!" She remained firmly planted in front of May, keeping her out of harm's way.  
  
Harry snickered, though he obviously was trying his best not to. It was obvious he and Snape did not exactly get along. Of course, Kay couldn't blame him, she doubted anyone could get along with this man.  
  
May sniffled where she was before noticing the opening behind the tall professor. He had stepped forward in his anger and was no longer fully blocking the way out. "Kay, look," she whispered in her sister's ear as she looked straight at the spot.  
  
Snape's nostrils flared again and an angry red flush appeared on his skin, "Why you! You should have more respect for your elders!"  
  
Kay glared a moment, silent as her eyes darted to the opening, and immediately she pulled/pushed her sister towards it as she darted there herself. They needed to get out of here before they got into deeper trouble.  
  
May didn't actually need telling twice. She darted, the cat still held tightly in her arms, at the opening, knocking into the tall scary man. The man seemed to seethe, but she barely noticed, only caring that her sister had managed to make it past before he fell right across the path they had just taken.  
  
Snape practically roared in frustration as the girls rushed past and managed to knock him over. He'd only ever had this much trouble with Neville (The Jinx) Longbottom.  
  
Kay giggled as she ran, scooping up her cat as she ran passed where it was sitting batting at colored bottles of potions on the lowest shelf. Several of the potions fell off the shelf and spilled across the floor, but Kay kept running, barely noticing the dark haired youth as he followed, curious at their amazing aptitude for mischief.  
  
May didn't stop running until she was back outside the Pet Shop where her mother had told them to meet her. She turned back to see Kay and the boy, Potter, still running to catch up with her. "Kay Day!"  
  
Kay skidded to a halt abruptly, grinning as she hugged her cat, "May Day?" She turned abruptly as the older boy came to stop behind her. She looked him over a moment, debating if perhaps they should run to get away from him as well, but deciding against it.  
  
He breathed a moment after stopping, his eyes focusing through tasseled hair on the pair.  
  
"What was that all about," he asked them after a moment.  
  
"I fell," May told him sheepishly, edging closer to her sister and looking at him with wide, innocent green eyes. "I didn't mean to knock the bottle down. I just wanted to see."  
  
Kay grinned and shrugged, "Yeah, it was an accident," she paused for a long moment then, "Besides... it was fun." Her bright green eyes sparkled as she looked up at him.  
  
Harry blinked at the sparkling green eyes in amazement, wondering how the Weasley twins could have been reborn before they had even died. Then again, "You're even more mischievous than the Weasley Twins..." He spoke in stunned awe, not even realizing he had.  
  
"Who're they," asked May, stepping forward to grin up at Harry.  
  
Kay tilted the her head, grinning to her sister a moment, "Yeah, who?"  
  
"They're another pair of twins that like to get into mischief," Harry told them. "You're Muggle, then?"  
  
Kay tilted her head curiously, glancing once more to her sister and back to him, "Muggle?" Her eyes shone out with sheer curiosity as she looked to him, wondering exactly what he meant.  
  
May blinked and waited for the boy to answer.  
  
"You come from a non-magic family," Harry told them with a grin. It felt good to be the one with the knowledge for once.  
  
May titled her head and glanced at her sister before replying, "I'm May Day!"  
  
Kay tilted her head and then nodding, choosing not to mention the unknown daddy. She grinned then, "And I'm Kay Day!"  
  
"Kay Day and May Day..." Harry repeated wonderingly. "You must have an interesting Mom."  
  
Kay nodded brightly, "She should be back soon, actually," she began distractedly, looking around, "she left us here to pick out kitties while she got the rest of our stuff."  
  
"And you just happened to wander off to the Potions Shop," Harry grinned. "I'm Harry, by the way and that was Professor Snape that you met. He teaches Potions at Hogwarts. Are you going there this year?"  
  
May eyes widened in fear and she hoped that she wouldn't have to take this Potions class.  
  
Kay grinned mischievously, suddenly hoping she would get to take potions. "Yup, we are," she chirped happily. Her eyes alight as she smiled to her worried sister.  
  
"Do we have to take Potions class with him," May asked worriedly, squeezing her cat a little for comfort.  
  
Harry nodded, "Unfortunately. Everyone hates him, except the Slytherins, so if you lose points with him, no one will ask why."  
  
"Points," May asked.  
  
Kay tilted her head, grinning a bit impishly, but staying quiet as she waited for Harry to answer her sister's last question.  
  
"You'll find out when you get there," Harry told them. "What are your cats' names?"  
  
Kay's face went blank as she looked down at the little Persian in her arms. She immediately glanced to her sister with wide eyes. Surely she could help think up a name for both of them.  
  
"Uhh..." May said, thinking. "This is...Patches!" The cat mewled and began purring, almost as though happy to have been named.  
  
Kay looked blankly back down at her cat, still drawing a blank. "Uhhhh..." she began, thinking hard as she stared at the squirming cat, "Stitch." She grinned a bit, "Yeah, Stitch." With that the cat managed to squirm loose, pouncing at Harry's foot.  
  
Harry blinked, suddenly glad for the thick material of his sneakers as Stitch batted at his shoelaces and proceeded to curl around his foot.  
  
May giggled at Harry's helpless look, "Stitch likes you!"  
  
Kay giggled too, but made no move to get Stitch off of Harry's shoe, "Yup, he does!" She giggled some more as she looked, noticing that their mom was coming into view.  
  
"Mommy," May yelled as her gaze was inexplicably drawn to where Kay's was.  
  
Harry attempted to turn, but tripped over the cat on his foot and ended up sprawled on the ground.  
  
Their mom looked relieved to note that the pair was still at the pet shop where she had left them. "You two stay out of trouble," she asked as she drew near, turning her glance to the boy sprawled on the ground.  
  
Kay giggled loudly a moment and nodded, "Yup mom, totally outta trouble. We got kitties!"  
  
"And we made a friend," May told her. She kneeled down beside Harry and pointed at him, "He's Harry!"  
  
Their mom tilted their head at the boy for a long moment, "Good day Harry, have these two little miscreants been causing you any trouble?" She was silent a moment then, thinking, "well, too much trouble." It was obvious there had been some, otherwise the boy would not be on the ground.  
  
Harry grinned and shook his, "No, they haven't been causing me any trouble at all. I just tripped." He wasn't about to get the girls in trouble, not when it had been Snape to suffer the consequences of their curiosity.  
  
May let Patches go to curl up on Harry's lap as he sat up and then plopped herself down beside him. "How old are you Harry," she asked, her green eyes sparkling.  
  
Kay grinned, sitting down herself and looking at her cat as she waited for Harry to answer her sister's question.  
  
Their mother cleared her throat, not liking the emphasis on "me" that the boy gave, but letting it pass. "Girl's," she began again, "I need you with me to get your wands, other then that I have all your supplies... You can talk to Harry later."  
  
"Thirteen," Harry said as he gently handed Patches back to May and stood.  
  
May stood with him, "Mommy, Mommy, can Harry come too?"  
  
Harry blinked in surprise and glanced at the girl's mother.  
  
"No, May, Harry probably has other places he has to go to get what he needs for school," their mom said softly but firmly.  
  
"Do you Harry?" Kay looked to him questioningly, awaiting his response.  
  
"Not really," Harry replied slowly. "I've already been here for two weeks and gotten everything I need." He wasn't really sure what was going on, but he figured he'd see what the outcome was anyway.  
  
"Then, you'll come," May squealed excitedly, bouncing in place next to him.  
  
Their mother looked a bit indignant for a moment. "Well Harry, would you like to come with us?"  
  
Kay smiled brightly at her mom's slightly reluctant approval, grabbing Stitch as she looked to Harry, "yeah, come!"  
  
"I-I don't think you mom wants me to," Harry said, uncertainly. Maybe if he continued to put it off to their mother he could get out of this.  
  
May looked crushed and pouted towards her mother.  
  
"I don't mind," she said, unable to fight the pouts of now both of her daughters. "The more the merrier," she finally said, "If you want to come you're welcome."  
  
Harry sighed and gave in as both the twins began pulling Harry back down the street, "Alright, alright." Harry was used to winning, but he did know when he was beaten. 'These kids could be scarier than Voldemort,' he thought to himself as he attempted to not trip over the cats, which were both now walking beside their young mistresses. 


	2. Of Snakes and Lions

May sat sulking in her seat on the train. She could still hear everyone's laughter after she had run full force into the train. She hadn't meant to, but she had closed her eyes just as she'd hit the barrier to Platform 9 3/4 and. Well, she wasn't sure what happened. All she knew was that she had opened her eyes just in time to see her cart hit the side of the train. May doubted would ever be any color but red again.  
  
Kay sat cross-legged on her seat next to May, glancing at her sister every so often. She grinned a bit and nudged May. "Pass it off like you meant to," she said softly, a mischievous grin playing across her features. "That way you can laugh too. I just wish I coulda run into it too." She grinned more widely, glancing for some sign of May cheering up.  
  
May's lips twitched at her sister's advice, but all she could hear was the other's laughter. She turned to regard Kay with wet green eyes, "Do you think they'll hate me at school now? I don't want them to make fun of me. We're supposed to be accepted here!"  
  
Kay shrugged lightly, "No, they won't hate you, and besides... what fun is there in being accepted? If they are going to laugh, give them something to laugh about. I bet they'd love to hear about that professor...Snape." Her smile brightened as a mischievous light filled her eyes.  
  
May thought a moment, remembering what Harry had said about him, "Yeah! I bet they'll love that!"  
  
She smiled brightly, the tears banished from her eyes.  
  
Kay grinned impishly, glancing to see if anyone was in ear shot, and her smile widened as she noted there were people near enough to 'accidentally' overhear. They just had to talk loud enough. "Bet they woulda loved to see his face as that gook spilled on him," she said between laughs.  
  
May giggled, "Yeah! And he got all green and SMELLED so bad! What did Harry say his name was again?"  
  
Kay giggled, "Snape...I think!" Her eyes lit up, "He was sooo angry," she paused, unable to continue for a moment, "bet he almost exploded."  
  
"Yeah," May said laughing loudly, "just from trying to hold his breath!" Her flush was now more from her laughter than from her embarrassment.  
  
Kay, now laughing louder smiled as she pushed a tuft of raven hair back behind her ear. "And when I bit him," she smirked, "Oh boy. I think that was a baaad day for him."  
  
"Very bad," May said nodding. Her eyes moved to glance over Kay's shoulder at some movement. A boy a little older than them with slicked back blonde hair was frowning and sauntering their way.  
  
Kay's gaze drifted to where May's had come to rest and she too caught sight of the boy. Cocking her head ever so slightly she let a lopsided grin slip onto her face, her lip raising partially. Seems like someone was overhearing.  
  
The boy stopped next to the twins, two other larger boys running to join him and quickly flanked him. "Who are you," he asked coldly, surveying them. "A pair of Mudbloods?"  
  
Kay tilted her head a bit more as she looked at the, now three boys. "I'm Kay Day," she chirped annoyingly cheerfully, catching the insult in his tone, even if she didn't understand the words, but choosing to ignore it. "And you," she paused, glancing this ring leader up and down, "are?"  
  
May raised an eyebrow in a gesture supremely unique to her in the duo as the boy replied with an evil grin, "Draco Malfoy. You're superior..."  
  
Kay glanced back to May for a moment, "Really?" She held her hand forth as surprised excitement swept across her features. "Well pleased to meet you!" Her eyes sparkled brightly as she waited, hand extended, looking expectantly at this boy.  
  
May's eyes narrowed, she did not like what this boy was insinuating. Perhaps he would look better with green hair? She grinned her eyes taking on an unearthly sparkle that went unnoticed by all but her sister.  
  
The boy sniffed and slapped Kay's hand away with a frown, "Look, the Mudblood thinks she's worth dirtying my hand on." The boys behind Draco gave a snort of laughter as he chuckled evilly.  
  
Kay looked hurt, something of a pout coming across her features. "I'm sorry," shakes her head, "for a moment I thought it was worth it... but I guess I was wrong." Her face still seemed sorrowful, penitent. She glanced to her sister then, catching the gleam in her eyes. "It seems you aren't worth even shaking hands with," she quipped then, looking back with a mischievous glint in her eyes.  
  
May grinned and even as she did, bright neon green began to spread through each of the boy's hair from the roots. One of the two back boys gasped, "D- D-Draco!"  
  
The former blonde, Draco, looked back at his friend quickly with annoyance seeming to radiate from his skin. "Goyle," he snapped, "Be quiet while I put the pair of--"  
  
Suddenly he stopped as he realized that both Goyle and the remaining boy had green hair. "Crabbe, Goyle! Your hair!"  
  
"Your hair," they exclaimed back, fear in their eyes of their leader's reactions.  
  
May sat watching the boys and attempting to hide her giggles.  
  
Kay also held back giggles, grinning impishly as she decided to add her own little touch to the mayham... And suddenly, the boys weren't standing anymore. They were, rather, hovering, several inches off the ground. A smirk spread across face, one that she quickly hid as she looked back to the boys, sudden shock spreading across her face as she watched them floating. "Wha," she exclaimed questioningly, on her feet in an instant. It was all she could do to not bust out laughing.  
  
"Wow..." MAy said, pretending equal amazement now that her giggles were passing. "Wizards can fly without wings?"  
  
Draco shot her a fearful look that held just as much contempt as ever, "Of course we can't you filthy little Mudblood! You're doing this! Put me down!"  
  
Kay's jaw was hanging wide open and her eyes were wide. "N-no.I dun think she is. I-I've never seen anything like it," she lied, not even bothering to cross her fingers this time. "S-surely it's you," she paused, a bit of hurt anger spread across her face, "You big bully! Floating and blaming us so that you can go and laugh about it later." She sniffled, her eyes watering with amazingly realistic tears.  
  
May stared at her sister in apparent shock, before turning back to Draco with apparent anger in her eyes and the hard set of her jaw, "You evil git! You made my sister cry!" With that she reached out and slapped Draco's foot, forcing him to spin until he was upside, his slick green hair hanging down in greasy clumps.  
  
Kay sniffled a bit as she watched Draco spin and picked that moment to let them all fall, doing her best not to laugh as his head hit ground. Laughter, she discovered, was easiest when hidden behind fake tears. She glared at the boys, wiping tears from her eyes.  
  
May wrapped an arm around Kay while continuing to shoot death glares worthy of Snape at the boys. Suddenly, the boys' hair turned to neon pink, much to their own horror and the amusement of their audience.  
  
Kay's lower lip quivered as leaned against her sister, a tear rolling down her face. She didn't even notice the laughter that came from a slowly growing crowd of onlookers. It seemed everyone wanted to see these boys...humbled. She sniffled, holding back a smirk.  
  
Draco scowled at the pair before he noticed the growing crowd of students outside the door. He clenched his teeth before standing and attempting to smooth his robes and hair. "Come on," he snapped to his cronies as he walked briskly from the room with a final look back that spoke of the mortal wounds he would inflict on the two later.  
  
May grinned as she concentrated on their retreating backs and slowly their rear ends showed signs of becoming as pink as their hair.  
  
As soon as the boys were out of sight, and wouldn't be able to distinguish where laughter came from, Kay practically collapsed back into her chair laughing. Though hard, her laughter only blended in with that of other students...especially after May's last shot at them. Although only Kay realized it had been her.  
  
May grinned at her sister, pride shining from her eyes as she heard an onlooker exclaim, "Wicked!"  
  
Kay smirked at May. "Well," she giggled, "That was fun. Let's find something else to laugh at."  
  
May nodded frantically, her black hair flying into face. At first she thought it was only because of that that the compartment went dark, until the train began to slow and she couldn't see any better after she'd cleared her face. She could hear confused murmuring and screams from the hall outside and quickly curled into her sister's side for comfort, "What's going on, Kay Day?"  
  
Kay shivered, pulling her sister close as she glared in the direction of the screams, fighting panic that was settling on her. She had to be strong. "I don't know May," she whispered, pushing her sister underneath the seat. "Stay there, I'm going to find out." With that she stepped forward, moving with a bravery she didn't feel. Truth be told she wanted to hide under the seat where she had pushed May.  
  
May watched her sister run out and, taking a deep calming breath, she crawled out from under the seat and ran after her. May was scared of whatever everyone was screaming about, but she was more scared of losing her sister. She didn't notice the train coming to a stop finally and the screams intensifying, her own panic for her absent twin. She bumped into numerous people as she desperately called, "Kay Day!"  
  
Kay's eyes widened as she looked back, suddenly hearing her sister. She focused on the sound of her voice and, shivering, ran back towards it, forcing herself to calm down as she caught sight of her.  
  
"May," she said softly stepping closer. "Get back under the seat May, everything is going to be all right," she continued, her voice full of confidence she did not feel. "Please," she half whispered, her eyes pleading to her sister, "Just trust me." It was all she could do to not panic as well, but, somehow she kept together. Perhaps only for the sake of her sister, perhaps only worry for her prevented panic from setting in like it should.  
  
May shook her head frantically, "No, I'm coming with you. We face this together, remember? I'm not gonna let you go alone!" Determination shone from May's eyes for a moment until a cold chill flooded through train and she saw her sister's eyes widen at something behind her. She turned and saw a dark, cloaked person moving slowly through the car with students diving into compartments frantically to escape it.  
  
Kay nodded, eyes wide as she watched the cloak figure. "Fine...we stay together," she hissed, fear in her voice as she grabbed her sister, pulling her along at a fast run and then finally pushing her into a compartment, diving in after her, shrinking back in hope of both remaining out of sight.  
  
May landed straight into someone's lap and looked up to see a pair of familiar be-speckled green eyes. With a little gasp, she screamed, "Harry! There's something out there!" She immediately curled up on his lap and began tugging Kay back with her, ignoring the soft protests of the boy whose lap she had confiscated.  
  
"Harry," said a near-by red head, "who're they? You long-lost sisters?" He was immediately whacked by a blonde girl sitting next to him, but he ignored her in favor of staring at the three some more.  
  
Kay grinned a bit despite the fear of... whatever was approaching. Well, it was better that they'd ended up in the compartment with Harry then say... Draco wasn't it?  
  
She shivered, eyes darting about to catch in the other two. "Who're these two," she asked at scarce above a scared whisper.  
  
Harry gave attempting to detach May with a sigh and nodded toward the red- head, "That's Ron, my best friend, she's Hermione, my other best friend," the girl seemed to puff up a bit at this, "and he's Neville." Harry nodded toward a round blonde boy sitting next to him and at the same time made another doomed attempt to shake May loose.  
  
"Guys, this is May and Kay Day. A pair of twins I met in Diagon Alley. They're new this year."  
  
Kay grinned impishly, eyes shining brightly as she shrugged fear aside. "I don't suppose you know what going on out there," she asked softly, gesturing the hallway with her chin before looking back to them all, bright green eyes settling on none of the four, but instead roving between them all, and coming to rest every so often on her sister.  
  
May gasped as the dark cloaked figure appeared in the doorway. "Harry! Kay Day," she screamed as she curled into Harry. Harry didn't move until he began twitching violently and slipped to the floor with her.  
  
"HARRY," May screamed in horror. A tall man with greying hair and patched robes stepped out from behind them in the extra large compartment, holding his wand out and straight at the cloaked figure. May couldn't hear what he said very clearly over her own sobbing, but she was very relieved when his wand spat out some silver misty stuff that seemed to scare the creature away. Harry began to still beneath her, "Harry?"  
  
Kay's eyes went wide at the dark figure and she stood in utter shock, staring at it, shaken loose from frozen panic by the screams on her sister alone. Though still near panic herself she wrapped her arms around her sister's shoulders. Even as she did so the man who had scared the creature away moved to check on Harry.  
  
"It'll be all right," she whispered quietly to her sister, even as she watched this man.  
  
He stood up slowly, assured as Harry stirred that he would be all right, and then his eyes came to rest, on everyone, but mostly the Day twins. "That was a Dementor from Azkaban," he said, seeming amazingly calm to Kay. And, a few pieces of chocolate later they were once more alone in the compartment as he left to speak to the driver.  
  
Soon the train began moving once more.  
  
May sat munching slowly on her chocolate as the others explained what had happened to the now-awake Harry. She cuddled back with Kay and the Hermione girl that was friends with her Harry and wondered why the older children weren't eating their chocolate too. Didn't they like chocolate? And it tasted especially good this time.  
  
Soon the nice man came back and told the rest to eat their chocolate before settling back into his seat. They all settled into a comfortable silence while Kay and May related their story of Snape in the Potions Shop and Draco Malfoy to the older students. Ron immediately took a likening to the girls while Hermione seemed torn between anger that they had broken the rules and laughter that they had broken them with whom they had. Neville seemed to almost worship the pair while Harry merely sighed and resigned himself to two more mischievous friends.  
  
******************************************************************  
  
  
  
May filed in with the rest of the students into a large hall with the sky shown clearly above them. But it was raining out and they weren't getting wet, so she knew that it had to only be a t.v. screen or window.  
  
"Kay, look," she said, pointing it out to her sister.  
  
Kay's gaze drifted to note the rain. Her eyes roving quickly to catch in everything they possibly could. "This is so cool," she half whispered in some semblance of awe... sort of...  
  
May turned her attention back to her surroundings just in time to hear the tall old lady call her sister's name for sorting, "Kay Day!"  
  
Kay's head turned abruptly and she grinned a bit impishly as she moved forward, walking a bit slowly as she moved to get this... sorting hat put on. Well, she didn't know where she was bound, but she was certain she and her sister would end up together. When the hat was put on her head she grinned a bit more widely, her eyes trying to focus on it as she bit down lightly on her lip. It wasn't long until all heard, "Gryffindor!"  
  
She moved to join the Gryffindor group, grinning back at May and giving a thumbs up. It seemed May should be happy, it looked like they'd end up in the same house as Harry and his friends. Them and another pair of twins. She wondered. Were these the mischief twins whose throne she and her sister were out to usurp? Well, this would be fun.  
  
May grinned happily as she watched her sister run over to the Gryffindor table with Harry and his friends. She couldn't wait to join them and was running towards the Sorting Hat almost before the lady had called her name. She plunked herself down on the stool and grinned widely as the woman dropped the hat on her head with a sparkle in her eyes, though no smile graced her lips.  
  
'Well, well, well,' said a soft voice in May's head as soon as the hat had dropped over her eyes. 'Another Day Twin. And just as mischievous as your sister. But-- you would do better on your own.'  
  
May's mouth dropped open as panic spread through her, "No, I wanna stay with Kay," she whisper harshly. They couldn't be separated. They had to be together. They couldn't survive apart. She remembered all the kids that had picked on them in school and Kay defending them both when it became physical. "I need her!"  
  
'No,' the voice said again. She is of the Gryffindor mind with her bravery and stubbornness. You are of the Slytherin mind with your strategy and caution. You would be better in SLYTHERIN!" The voice ended in loud yell so that all the room could hear.  
  
Slowly, May pulled the hat off and, first, looked at the shocked faces of her sister and the Gryffindors, then over at the Slytherin table. Panic began making her regret having eaten that chocolate on the train as her stomach began churning violently. She noticed the horrified face of the boy she had turned pink on the train and, throwing back her head, cried out on a sob, "SISTER!"  
  
Kay stood staring in utter shock, uncertain what to do. She acted on impulse, moving to the center of the room.  
  
"Shh, May, shh," she began softly, pulling May away and out of the main focus of attention. Surely no one would deny them this, since they were being separated into different houses. "May, it'll be alright," she whispered, "imagine what the havoc we can reek in separate houses, imagine!" Her whisper turned into something of a mischievous hiss as she went on. "Don't worry, we won't ever be too far apart."  
  
May slipped to the floor and hugged her sister close, her mind too far gone to notice the other twin's soothing words. She continued crying noisily until she opened her eyes to notice the pair of boots right in front of them. Kay didn't seem to have noticed yet, but then her back was to them.  
  
"Well," said a snarky voice from above them. "If it's not the brats from Diagon Alley. And one of them has been placed in my own house."  
  
The twins tipped back their heads and stared at the pale, scowling man from the Potions Shop. Suddenly, May let out a scream, "Kay! It's the scary man again," and, as she did so, a green burst of light sent the man flying back away from them.  
  
Kay's eyes widened and, suddenly, she giggled, unable to hold it back, though she forced herself to quiet up in a quick moment. She glared at him, forcing herself not to giggle anymore at the fact that he was now, frankly, green. It was a hilarious thought, and it was apparent that many of the other students thought so too, as much as many were trying to hide it.  
  
She grinned back at Kay, and whispered into her ear, "I say he should be pink...bright pink." She tried to widen her smile, doing her best to cheer her sister back up. She didn't like the idea of being separated from her either, but the worst part had to be seeing May so scared.  
  
May simply looked at her sister and sniffled before burying her head miserably into Kay's shoulder.  
  
Kay hugged her sister softly, trying to think of something to say or do to cheer May up. "It'll be all right May," she whispered. "Honest, it will." But she could think of no more. She was out of ideas.  
  
Dumbledore, not even attempting to hide the twinkle in his eyes, though he was a bit surprised at the power of the Slytherin Twin, leaned over to Hagrid, the large man that had brought the first years to the castle, and whispered something in his ear. The large, bushy man nodded and stood.  
  
Quickly he made his way over and scooped up the still distraught girl. May screamed until Hagrid hunched down and so that she was able to see her sister. "I'm taking you both to the Hospital Wing, ah'ight, girls," he told her softly.  
  
Kay looked to May, smiling softly as she nodded lightly at this giant of a man, her eyes focused on her sister the whole time. She couldn't believe this, couldn't believe that wretched hat had separated them. She glared at it a moment, wishing she could do something to it, but she couldn't, and so she let her gaze drift back to May, a reassuring smile curving at her lips. Maybe in the hospital wing she would calm down.  
  
At Kay's nod, May calmed and curled up into the man's arms. She rather liked being held by him. He was big and strong and she felt like no one could hurt her in his arms. Bottom line: he felt safe to her.  
  
She sniffled again as he stood and began to walk out. May reached out a small hand to her sister, terrified of losing her.  
  
Kay took a hold of May's hand making sure to not release it as she walked beside the man who held her stster. She smiled a bit more brightly as May seemed to grow calmer.  
  
"See," she said softly, in a brighter tone, "everything will be all right. Nothing can separate us," she paused long enough to wink, "not even being in separate houses will. I will make sure of that, trust me, May, trust me."  
  
"Now, now," Hagrid told the small girl beside him. "Don' yeh be goin' off an' gettin' yerself into trouble. The Weasley Twins are trouble enough. An' Slytherin and Gryffindor 'ave a long standing rivalry. You'll get into double the trouble and find your way back out of here if you break the rules for each other." Hagrid absently rubbed May's back, hoping to avert another panic attack.  
  
One of Kay's eye-brow's drifted upwards ever so slightly. "I didn't say I'd break any rules," she said softly, squeezing her sister's hand gently. "We can keep together without breaking any of them," she continued confidently, though mentally her fingers were crossed. Even if they had been in the same house they would be bound to rule breaking, let alone in different houses! "The rivalry will just be skipping over two students is all." She grinned sincerely, well, at least it seemed sincere. Only her and May knew better.  
  
Hagrid snorted as he kicked open the door to the Hospital Wing, "That'll be a nice change. But if anyone accepts you two, it'll be the Gryffindors. Jes' don' hold your breath. The Slytherins aren't known for their kindness and Professor Snape won't be too happy with your sister after that stunt in the Great Hall."  
  
He laid May down on one of the clean white beds and forcefully uncurled her fingers from his shirt. "I'll be right back with the Nurse, lil 'un."  
  
Kay looked up at the giant of a man before he left and nodded, but gave no other response to his statement as she pulled a chair beside the bed on which her sister lay, holding her hand still. After he had left she spoke softly "We don't need anyone else, and it doesn't matter what the other houses think, or if we get kicked out of here. We always will have each other, no matter what distance separates us."  
  
With those words Kay rest her head on the bed right next to May's curled now sleeping form, and her hands in May's, she too drifted to sleep.  
  
Madame Pomfrey bustled in murmuring something about a certain professor's until she caught sight of the two sleeping sisters. "Oh, dear," she said stopping, her face momentarily softening.  
  
"What's wrong, Madame Pomfrey," Hagrid asked as he rushed in behind her, his dark eyes searching the room for trouble over his beard.  
  
Madame Pomfrey hurumphed and hurriedly walked over to where the girls lay, "I keep telling him. You should feed them on the train and send them to bed, not give them a feast! Poor things are exhausted."  
  
"Cryin' does that to yeh," Hagrid agreed as he grinned at the sight. "Poor thin's didn' take well to being placed in Separate houses."  
  
"Well, they're Muggle-born," Pomfrey said matter-of-factly. "Poor things probably were teased until they only had each other in their old schools."  
  
"They are powerful," Hagrid agreed. "The one I carried in turned Professor Snape green and threw him into the wall."  
  
Pomfrey looked up, startled, at the gentle giant, but he was already on his way out. She nodded at his farewell and finished tucking the girls in together. At least this way, they wouldn't panic when they woke up. 


	3. The Heart of a Slytherin

Dumbledore stood on the Astronomy tower in the yet cool mid-morning air watching as the first Magical Creatures class convened below. His mind was not on the class below him, however. It wasn't even on the barely visible Dementors guarding the school gates or the reason they were there. It was focused almost entirely on his newest set of twins.  
  
They were promising to be the most interesting pair to grace the halls of Hogwarts. With a father who was a powerful wizard and quite well known to him, they couldn't help but be anything else. And then they had managed to wreak magical havoc both on the train and at the feast. How many other untrained pre-teens could do such a thing?  
  
Now for the most interesting part, at least to Dumbledore. One twin was a Slytherin while the other a Gryffindor. It wasn't unusual for twins to be put in separate houses, but that it was those particular houses was the unusual part. They were notorious for their rivalry. It went back to before even Dumbledore's time, possibly even back to the original founders, and yet these two inseparable twins were placed in opposing houses.  
  
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled brightly as he contemplated the possible scenarios. At worse, one twin would be lost to darkness or perhaps insanity and at best the schism between the houses would be healed. Perhaps if he played these twins properly, he could keep young May Day from sane and have a powerful pair of allies for the battles he knew would come again. After all, this was only the eye of the storm the Wizarding World was experiencing. And even if it wasn't another Dark Lord would rise and Harry Potter couldn't protect the world by himself.  
  
Yes, he would stop the Day Twins from turning and make them his greatest assets next to Harry Potter. HE only hoped their promise for trouble proved vain. He didn't think the school could survive another Fred and George Weasley. Especially ones in separate houses and gifted with such extraordinary power. Perhaps he had better give Snape some free reign to tame these girls.  
  
With a last sigh, Dumbledore turned and strode inside, determined to begin his new venture.  
  
************************************  
  
May ran up the dungeon stairwells hoping to avoid meeting the castle ghosts that her Slytherin roommates had been talking about since the first day of school. She was terrified of ever actually meeting one, especially without her sister, which was a real possibility now that they had been separated. At least Kay would be with her for their first Potions class today. May was terrified of having to be anywhere near the scary man, even though he was her Head of House.  
  
Finally she could see the entrance to the Great Hall and breakfast. Stopping in the doorway, she gazed around the room for her sister. Kay was sitting at the other end of the Gryffindor table. With a sudden grin, May ran forward and yelled, "Kay Day!" just before she leapt onto her poor startled sister, knocking her to the floor.  
  
Kay sprawled across the floor and then grinned suddenly and widely. "May!" she poked her sister, trying to get her off, "I do hope you tried your best to not get in trouble." She was silent a moment before smirking and continuing softly, "after all, you should save that energy for the two of us together."  
  
May giggled, "Don't worry! I've got enough!" With that she bounced up to sit next to where her sister had been sitting and began filling a plate.  
  
"Hello," she chirped to the other Gryffindors at the table, seemingly not noticing their censure of her.  
  
Kay grinned and shook her head, choosing to focus on her sister rather than the rest at her table. She grinned brightly, impishly, whispering to her sister, between bites of food. "I bet we could get away with switching places any time we wanted."  
  
May nodded enthusiastically as she reached for a roll. She opened her mouth to reply, but it came out a loud scream as a ghost with a collar ruffle popped his head through the table.  
  
"KAY DAY," she screeched, falling back off the bench and scrambling to hide behind her twin.  
  
The poor ghost watched her run with a surprised look on his face that quickly turned gleeful. "I can be scary," he enthused.  
  
"And already dead or no I'll kill if you frighten my sister again," Kay hissed darkly, glaring at the ghost. It would have been funny, actually, were it not May hiding behind her, but that thought didn't even enter Kay's head as she glared at the ghost.  
  
The ghost looked surprised at Kay, his mouth flapping open as he tried to formulate coherent words.  
  
"Kill him," drawled a coldly amused voice. "Why, Miss Day, you become more and more violent with each meeting."  
  
Kay turned abruptly at the voice, her glare hardening as she caught sight of Professor Snape, and almost immediately she was on her feet, between him in her sister. It was entirely by instinct, and was something, were she thinking, she probably would not have done. "I'm sorry but that jerk of a ghost scared my sister," she hissed lightly, not sounding at all remorseful.  
  
"You sister," Snape hissed right back, "is a cry-baby who could use a good scare." He looked behind Kay at the sister in question. "And what are you doing eating at the Gryffindor table?"  
  
"Eating breakfast with my sister..." May sniffled in reply, barely managing to meet her teacher's glare.  
  
Kay growled, "What, is there some sort of rule against that?" Her voice was laced with sarcasm and a general dished. All that was going through her mind was that this man was scaring her sister, and didn't care. In fact he seemed to like the idea. She wanted him gone... and that was all there was too it.  
  
"Slytherins do not eat with Gryffindors and that will be 10 points from Gryffindor for your cheek, Miss Day," Snape said as the whispers of the Gryffindors reached his ears. He didn't mind being thought crazy, but he would never have it said of him that he bullied his own house.  
  
Snape grabbed May's bag and threw it to her, "Go sit next to Mr. Malfoy like a good little Slytherin, Miss Day. And if my feet leave the ground, Miss GRYFFINDOR Day, it will be 50 points from Gryffindor."  
  
Kay glared coldly, anger boiling inside her "Don't worry," she hissed, not sitting down, not able to she was so seething with anger. Her eyes closed a moment, and in the vision of her mind' eye was a fire, a fire that didn't burn in actuality. But burn it did, wreathing a serpent and skull in flames. She shook her head then, trying to clear it... Serpent and what?  
  
May squeaked as she became the first, aside from Snape himself, to notice the harsh green glow coming from beneath the tall teacher's robe arm. She knew she wasn't doing it, so that meant--  
  
"What are you doing, Kay," she hissed to her sister, not sure if she was more frightened by her teacher's mean face or his scared face.  
  
Snape for his part gasped, grabbed his arm and ran out of the Hall, leaving it silent in his wake.  
  
"Wicked," yelled a pair of awed voices. "No one's ever been able to do that before!" May turned to see a pair of twin red-heads.  
  
Kay near collapsed back to her seat as her eyes shot open, "Do what," she half-whispered questioningly, barely able to get her voice louder. Her eyes darted from her sister to the source of the shout that had startled her back into reality. She focused almost immediately on her sister once more, eyes deep with confusion echoing in their depths. "What happened?"  
  
"You sent Snape running like You-Know-Who himself was on his heels," cried one of the twins again.  
  
"You put green fire on his arm," May said to Kay so that only she could hear. "And I think I liked him better scary than scared."  
  
Kay looked startled a moment before grinning to the room, as though she had planned it all. "But at least he's gone," she whispered softly to her sister, forcing herself not to focus. The serpent and skull wreathed in flame, she closed her eyes a moment, grinning impishly as she opened them once more. "Let's finish breakfast," she half chirped, finishing at a whisper to her sister, "and plan some fun."  
  
May nodded and went back to her breakfast, the reactions of those around her a little less cold, "And we have Potions first, so we can walk to class together."  
  
Kay grinned impishly and nodded, "Sounds good to me," she paused taking a bite of her food and swallowing before continuing, "I wonder if the teach will show."  
  
"Of course," May grinned impishly. "He'll want revenge."  
  
Her grin widened as the pair of twins that had spoken before left patting the two on the backs. "We'll be leaving successor s when we go, George," laughed the one. May simply grinned into her hotcakes and continued eating.  
  
Kay grinned proudly a moment and before they left quipped, "Successors? We'll be running the show before you go." She grinned then, leaving them to whatever they might say, but ignoring it as she finished eating her food. She had no idea what she had done, but she now knew this school would be nothing if not interesting...and fun.  
  
May sat in a chair next to her sister awaiting the arrival of her Potions teacher, "Kay Day? When are we going to start looking for Daddy?"  
  
Kay glanced at May, grinning a bit as she whispered, "Any time is good." She glanced around a moment and then grinned back at her once more. "I wonder if we've already seen him!"  
  
"Maybe," May replied, "but how will we know? When we've found him, I mean?"  
  
Kay shrugged lightly, focusing her eyes on her desk for a moment before grinning impishly back at her sister. "I dunno, but I'm sure we'll find out somehow, or maybe he will. Maybe we look enough like Mommy that he will." She was silent then, giving another shrug as her eyes slid around the room.  
  
Suddenly the door slammed open and Professor Snape stormed in, his cloak billowing behind him. He marched to the front of the room and began a speech that sounded to May as though it was well-worn.  
  
Kay tilted her head lightly, listening, at least for the moment. There was plenty of time for mischief later. She let a small smirk slip to May.  
  
Snape directed a dark glare at the two, but as he looked around the classroom he saw that there were an uneven number of each house and let them be, for the moment. Instead he began writing the ingredients for their first potion on the board.  
  
"Well," he asked sarcastically, his dark eyes blazing with a cold fire. "What are you waiting for? An invitation? Get started!"  
  
Kay looked at the board a moment, then back at her desk with a momentary dart to the teacher. She had no idea what some of these ingredients were, and she refused to ask for help. Oh well, maybe she could 'accidentally' cause a small explosion. That'd get people's attention... and it would be fun too...  
  
Reading the labels on their packaged ingredients, May took out all but one of the needed parts. "Kay," she asked as she rummaged through her kit. What's 'boomslang'?"  
  
Kay tilted her head slightly, eyes a bit blank. "boomwha?"  
  
"The last--"  
  
"THIS," Snape interrupted as he slapped down an awful looking clump of matter, "is boomslang. I may yet salvage some intelligence from one of you." He eyed Ma with a calculating look before moving on to give the others their bit of boomslang.  
  
Kay tilted her head lightly, and waiting until the man's back was to her for a moment stuck her tongue out at him for a split second before returning to looking over her ingredients. Oh boy... This looked like so much fun... She hated school.  
  
May grinned at her sister, "Why do you think it's called BOOMslang?"  
  
Kay grinned a bit, an impish expression sweeping across her face. "I think I have some idea." She made a vow to herself then. She was going to study potions, going to figure out what was made explosions, and what could be used for pranks.  
  
Suddenly May giggled, "Wouldn't it be funny if Professor Snape was Daddy?" She continued giggling as she imagined the horrible fate of that happenstance.  
  
Kay almost burst into giggles, doing her best to contain them. "Very," she said softly.  
  
May started the process of cutting up and separating their ingredients, "What do we do if Daddy isn't here?"  
  
Kay shrugged and grinned a bit impishly. "Then we have fun with whoever is here."  
  
"Yeah," May grinned, "there's plenty of pranks for us to play here."  
  
Kay smirked and nodded enthusiastically, thinking about Draco and other Slytherins. "And plenty of people to play them on," she hissed happily.  
  
"An entire school's worth," May nodded, handing Kay the first ingredient to drop in the soon-to-be potion.  
  
Kay grinned a bit, taking the ingredient and dropping it in. Well it was a start. Of course, she was surprised they hadn't yet been scolded by Snape for talking.  
  
As if on cue, a tall dark shadow loomed over them, "Why aren't you further in this potion? Are your pathetic little love lives more important than our class time?"  
  
Kay raised an eyebrow. "Yes, even though they don't exist they are," she quipped, unable to hold it back though she tried. She looked down with a wince that she did her best to not let show, "But we're moving no slower then anyone else." She pointed out after quick glance around, knowing it would do nothing to redeem after the first remark. But oh well, mischief was her business after all.  
  
May threw in another ingredient and began stirring the cauldron as the two fused together in the small amount of water already boiling. Snape watched her with narrowed eyes before replying, "We will be testing your potion on your sister here, Miss Day, so maybe now you could spare some attention towards making it."  
  
The grouchy professor began stalking away as he threw over his shoulder, "And that will be 10 more points from Gryffindor."  
  
Kay did her best not to giggle as she turned back to May "Well," she muttered, watching the potion, her eyes darting to her sister periodically, "I have a feeling I'm going to be costing Gryffindor a lot of points." With that she worked more on helping with the potion, still grinning. She annoyed the man, of that she was certain, and proud.  
  
*************************************************  
  
May sat curled in a corner reading her Potions textbook. From what she could tell, this was the only way she was ever going to learn the skill, since her teacher seemed to hate her and her sister. Sighing, she ignored the babble of the room around her and concentrated on the textbook.  
  
"What's this," drawled a coldly amused voice. "A little Mudblood wanna be?"  
  
May looked up into the scowling, ferret-like countenance of Draco Malfoy as she felt her heart drop swiftly into her stomach. His grey eyes glittered like dirty icicles in the sunlight as his hand darted out to snatch her Potions book away.  
  
"Studying for Potions," he continued, encouraged by the sparkle of fear he could detect in his victim's wide green eyes. He laughed, echoed by his Crabbe and Goyle from behind him, and waved the book casually around as the room quieted to watch the night's entertainment. "You shouldn't bother. You don't belong here and you'll just be giving this up for your miserable Muggle life again."  
  
"Will not." May whispered weakly as she followed the book with her eyes, wondering if turning the bully's hair pink again would just make things worse or better. She wished with all her might that she was with her sister now. Kay was much better at confrontation and May herself was always braver when she had her sister to depend on.  
  
"What was that," Draco snarled, amusement lacing his voice. He was enjoying having a captive victim to play with; he just needed to make sure she knew she couldn't escape him.  
  
"I need my book back," May said a little louder, though her voice held a tremor of fear that might reach 8 on a Muggle Richter Scale. "I need to study for Potions, so Professor Snape won't be so angry."  
  
Draco's eyes flared in malicious joy at the opening he saw and he threw the book over his shoulder. It soared unseen past the stupidly grinning faces of his goons and straight into long, tapered fingers.  
  
Draco leaned in closely, smiling as a cat that has caught its prey might, "Snape-"  
  
"Would just happen to be standing behind you, Mr. Malfoy," the cool, silky voice of the Potions Master interrupted the boy.  
  
Draco jumped and turned, attempting to remain confident even as he tried to escape detention, "P-Professor. We were just helping May here study for her Potions class."  
  
"Without her textbook," Snape asked, delicately arching an eyebrow even as he raised the Potions book.  
  
"Um.I.She." Draco sputtered, unsure how to escape this.  
  
"Perhaps you would do better if you studied your own Potions, Mr. Malfoy," Snape told his student quietly. "I do not believe your father to have be overly please d by your performance last term."  
  
Draco gulped, his eyes darting between Snape and the small girl behind him before shoving past Crabbe and Goyle and making for the boys dorm with as much dignity as he could under the circumstances. Crabbe and Goyle followed as quickly as they could without stumbling over their robes along the way.  
  
Snape watched them go with narrowed eyes before turning to the rest of the common room, "And what exactly makes you think that this is any affair of yours?"  
  
Conversation quickly started up and heads disappeared so fast that May was certain most of them would have headaches before too long. She watched with wary eyes as Snape turned back and contemplated her silently. He wasn't as scary as she had first thought, the incident at breakfast had confirmed that for her, but she still wasn't sure how he should be treated.  
  
"At least you're promising to not annoy me as badly as most of my students as far as your grades are concerned, but don't think you can do any better in my class simply because you happened to open a book," Snape finally snarled softly, his obsidian eyes sparkling.  
  
"No, sir," May said, though she hoped to prove the man wrong.  
  
"They will attack you again. I suggest you find a protector."  
  
"My sister protects me."  
  
"Your sister's in Gryffindor, girl," Snape snapped, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You need a Slytherin to defend you from Slytherins! Gryffindors have no power here!"  
  
"I can take care of myself," May told him miserably. She had always hated being yelled at, especially by someone she already feared and knew held power over her.  
  
"Like you did in the Great Hall at the Sorting," Snape asked viciously.  
  
May remained wisely silent and he sighed before raising his wand and pointing it at May's Potions text. He whispered a few words that she could hear before holding it out to her with a sneer.  
  
"Here's your book, girl," he told her and she reached to take it. "I will have you expelled if I EVER find out that you do not have it on your person. Understood?"  
  
May nodded fearfully and thought she caught a flicker of something human cross her cruel professor's face. He leaned down and whispered so that only she could hear, "This will protect you until you have the means to care for yourself."  
  
May's eyes widened as Snape straightened and began crossing the common room to the exit. Hugging the book to her chest and feeling as though she must, she called out to him, "Professor Snape, I'm sorry." She stopped uncertainly as he looked back at her expectantly. She bowed her head to the floor and watched him watch her through the black veil of her hair until he finally snapped back around and continued out.  
  
May sighed and curled back up in her corner, eyeing the room warily. She was sure what she should think of her professor now. Was he a friendly adult? She still didn't think so, but she no longer thought him exactly mean. A mean man wouldn't protect her, would he? Of course, she didn't think he was being entirely characteristic just then either.  
  
*********************************************  
  
After classes Kay sat in the common room of the tower, comfortable in the couch, but her thoughts constantly drifting to her sister. She hoped she was all right, all alone with the pack of Slytherins. Why had that stupid hat separated them? Yeah, she was doing well enough on her own, but she missed her sister more then anything.  
  
"Hey," piped one of the twins from earlier as they flopped down next to her on the couch, "What is your name?"  
  
"Yeah," said the other on her other side. "Besides the Terror of Snape."  
  
Kay grinned a bit impishly up at the two, green eyes sparkling brightly, "Kay Day, though I do like 'Terror of Snape' a bit better... has a nice ring to it."  
  
The twins laughed, their laughter ringing through the tower common room and making their eyes sparkle mischievously. Soon one twin sobered and looked around the room, "Where's your sister?"  
  
Kay bit her lip for a moment, anger tracing her features. "Stupid sorting hat put her in Slyrtherin," she muttered, forcing herself to a more cheerful demeanor directly thereafter. "Of course, this will give us lots more ways to reek havoc. I mean, think about it," she finished off, a full impish grin on her face.  
  
The twins looked startled at each other over her head before grinning broadly. "I LOVE the way you think," they told her simultaneously. "By the end of this year, this school isn't gonna know what hit it!"  
  
Kay grinned impishly and brightly. "That," she said gleefully, "is exactly what we have in mind!" She grinned to them once more, green eyes bright and full of undeniable mischief. "You two have been here a while. Picked up a few tricks, I do hope you won't find having a first year or two tagging along to be too much trouble...."  
  
The twin on her right casually slapped a hand down on her shoulder and leaned back, "That, m'girl, should be the kind of trouble we like. Right Fred?"  
  
"Right, George," replied the other with a grin. He leaned back and cocked his head. "The marauders re-"  
  
"Hello boys," piped up a familiar voice from behind. The three turned to see Harry's bright green eyes staring back at them with a strange look to them. "I don't think Kay needs any lessons in mischief."  
  
"Harry," grinned Fred. "Blimey, but your startled me better than Filch ever did!"  
  
Harry didn't know why, but he suddenly very much wanted to protect the small girls he'd met before, though he doubted they really needed it after that display earlier. Still, they'd only get a bad reputation if they were seen cavorting with two known twin pranksters so early on. So, he opened his mouth to say more, but was interrupted when George exclaimed, "Wicked! Harry, did you know how much you resemble Kay here?"  
  
Kay grinned a bit, her eyes darting to Harry, and focusing on him for a long moment. Kay tilted her head lightly, she hadn't actually spent that much time looking at Harry really, and they were right. He did bare some odd resemblance. "Wow," Kay questioned softly, "he's right you know?"  
  
Harry blinked down at her, taking inventory. They did share the same black hair and small facial structure. She was even small for her age and skinny just as he always had been and probably always would be. The twins also shared bright green eyes as him, though not the same shade of emerald; theirs were more hazel with golden specks that sparkled in a couple random spots on their iris.  
  
"You're right..." Harry breathed, before wandering off to find Hermione and Ron for reassurance. His life was becoming interesting again - that never boded well.  
  
Kay grinned a bit as Harry left and giggled softly, turning her attention back to the twins. Yes, this would definitely be a fun year, her and her sister would find some way to be together as much as possible at least... And to cause as much trouble as possible.  
  
The boys moved to stand, "Get your sister..."  
  
Kay tilted her head slightly before speaking softly in reply, "May..."  
  
"Get you sister May to meet us at the Astronomy Tower at 8 tomorrow night. We'll show you a few secret passages around here..." they finished with a twinkle in their eyes before exaggerating a yawn and heading up to the boys' dormitories.  
  
Kay nodded enthusiastically, smirking as the older boys left. She was practically bouncing in her chair. She couldn't wait to tell May! This was going to be fun. Her line of thought froze. She sure hoped May was all right, and wished they could be together. She climbed slowly to the girls' dormitory, and when the lights were out she curled up in the bed, missing her sister, and worried about her. Why had they been separated? ************************************************  
  
Snape sat before his softly crackling fireplace, his face set in stern lines that he was unwilling to relinquish even in the sanctuary of his own home. He'd learned long ago that even the most sacred of places could be infiltrated and was now used to living as though they already had been.  
  
At the moment, however, it was not the infiltration of his chambers that worried him. It was the infiltration of his house that troubled him this night.  
  
May Day, the raven-haired little Muggle born witch with eyes like the ones that haunted his dreams when he managed to find sleep - She had become a Slytherin. She had dumped Skunk Liqueur on him, turned him green then PINK, thrown him across a room like a rag doll and she was one of HIS students. By all rights, he should make her life as miserable as he made Potter's!  
  
But those eyes. Those eyes haunted him. They made him do things he hadn't done in years. He had protected her, he would always protect the children of his house, especially the weakest, like May, but he normally wouldn't actually tell them he was protecting them. Just have them expelled when it became clear their stupidity would lead to a quick demise if they remained.  
  
He wondered if the hat was perhaps mistaken in placing such a powerful, yet dependent witch, who was Muggle born even, in the most ambitious and biased house in the entire school. Surely the hat had finally come unglued!  
  
But no, the hat had never made a mistake in its entire use, even Sirius Black, the infamous murderer, had shown his own streak of Gryffindor-brand courage. There had to be SOME reason the chit was placed in his house. He just had to ensure she survived long enough for him to discover it.  
  
Perhaps he should arrange for her education in the ways of a Slytherin. Perhaps Draco Malfoy? It might soften his ways if he was made to take her under his wing. And surely he would want someone capable of an intelligent conversation to be with?  
  
And then there was Sara Killensley and Raewyn McGowan, the other two Slytherin girls of her year. The three of them might make an awesome fighting force if he could bring them together.  
  
The only problem would be separating her from her twin and Potter, who she had apparently taken a shine to. If she stayed with them, they would never let her go later without a fight and there were already too many of those in the halls. His only option was the forceful separation of them in classes and meal times. If he could keep them apart then and find ways during their free times.  
  
Yes, it might work. She may be Muggle born, but he would see to it that she did not disgrace the Slytherin house. Gryffindor had enough power without one of HIS students adding to it.  
  
With a smile that would have scared even the Bloody Baron had anyone seen it, Snape stood and changed for bed. Soon after he settled in to sleep - and dream of dancing green eyes and what might have been. 


	4. Knight in Shaggy Fur

Kay stepped into the hall, bright eyes shining at the array of people gathering for breakfast. She grinned a bit impishly as her gaze drifted and she debated where to sit. Considering May was not there yet, the Gryffindor table, probably. Oh well, she'd have time to bug some Slytherin's later. She sat down near the end of the Gryffindor table, eyes darting repeatedly  
to the entrance, hoping to see May.  
  
May walked quickly into the room, hugging her Potions books to her chest and making sure to avoid her tormentors from the night before. She caught sight of her sister almost immediately this time and bounced over to sit  
next to her at the Gryffindor table, "Kay Day!"  
  
"May!" Kay yelped happily, grabbing her sister and pulling her down beside  
her, close enough that she would be the only one to hear a whispered, "Tonight, 8... we get to meet with the other mischief twins, a...astrology tower... I think." She was silent then, grinning to her sister as her eyes  
sparkled mischievously.  
  
May nodded as she slipped her book in her bag, "I'll be there..if I can find it." May began filling a plate of food, not noticing the three older  
Slytherin boys approach her with identical smirks.  
  
"Well, well, look who it is," said Draco Malfoy, startling May. "Still  
sitting with the kittens?"  
  
Kay glanced at the boy, eyes narrowing smoothly. "And why not? Kittens are better then snakes any day." She was ready to move protectively between him  
and her sister, but waited a moment, still sitting down.  
  
May turned and grinned at Draco cheekily before granted him a long wet raspberry. With a giggle she turned back to her meal as the blonde stood  
there flabbergasted. Kay grinned impishly, turning back to her food as  
well.  
  
Draco scowled, "You're a Slytherin, not a flea-bitten Gryffindor! Show some pride!" Draco paused and a nasty smile began to spread across his face,  
"But then, what could I expect from a Mudblood?"  
  
The table gasped in disbelief and a passel of Red-hairs stood up speaking  
in loud angry tones that merged together to become nearly intelligible.  
  
Kay glared, shaking a bit with anger as she glared at Malfoy. It was obvious he meant the term to be insulting the first time, and this time, it had her very angry. Her eyes narrowed as she clenched and unclenched her  
fists, doing her best not to lose her temper or control. "Fine," she  
finally hissed, glancing to May, "Let's go sit with the snakes today."  
  
May looked over quizzically at Kay before nodding and standing. She grabbed her bag and moved to walk with her sister to the Slytherin table.  
  
"No," Draco told Kay as he pulled May to him, tucking her under his arm carelessly. May hugged her bag to her as she stared wide-eyed up at him. "She's the Slytherin, stay where you belong Gryffindor," Draco spat at Kay.  
  
Kay glared, her eyes burning as she stood up to follow. "We belong together," she hissed gesturing from herself to her sister. She had to keep  
control, before she did something stupid and got her and her sister  
permanently separated somehow.  
  
"Let her go, Malfoy," came a low voice filled with warning from behind Kay.  
May looked up to see Harry backed by his best friend Ron and the three other Weasley brothers. His green eyes burned fiercely as his hand drifted  
towards where May was sure he kept his wand.  
  
"Or else what, Potter," Draco drawled in return. "You'll go cry to  
McGonagall? Come off it! She's Slytherin, I'm just reclaiming her."  
  
"Let her go, Malfoy," Harry growled back, "You don't own her!"  
  
Draco smirked, "You don't own her either, Potter."  
  
A red flush crept its way up Harry's neck and face, "Malfoy...let May go!"  
  
"She's the only one of you that's worth anything," Fred joined in the  
argument.  
  
"And we have to protect her poor precious mind from gits like you," George  
added on a grin.  
  
Kay grinned a bit, her temper cooling she three people came to May's defense. "C'mon, let her go before you.. give her a disease or something,"  
she quipped between comments, grinning broadly and impishly.  
  
The other Gryffindors laughed and Ron chimed in, "Yeah, the slimy git disease! Can't have her getting sick from you, can we," George threw in  
his two cents.  
  
"She's only in danger of becoming an idiot kitten if she stays here, so  
bugger off," Draco told them as he began backing away with his goons.  
  
Harry leapt forward and grabbed May's arm, pulling her towards her sister  
and stepping in front of the two, his wand drawn. "Back off, Malfoy!"  
  
Kay grabbed onto her sister as the was pulled towards her, eyes focused, rather surprised, at the scene unraveling before she glanced to May to see  
if she was all right.  
  
May grabbed hold of her sister and watched the scene behind her in shock,  
"Kay, Harry's strong..."  
  
Kay nodded, watching. "Yes he is," she began softly, eyes darting from her sister to the others as she hugged her sister tightly. "Nobody can separate  
us."  
  
"Harry can protect us, too," May said as she watched the boys all begin arguing in earnest. Looking off to the side, she saw Professor Snape begin  
to head for the fight and decided it was time to go.  
  
"Come on, let's get out of here," she told her sister as she pulled Kay  
toward an exit.  
  
Kay didn't need to be told twice and followed her sister towards the exit, sparing half a moment to grab random food items from tables as she moved by. She grinned to her sister and shrugged, "We didn't exactly get time to  
eat... well... I didn't."  
  
May grinned at her sister, "We'll get the other twins to show us the  
kitchen sometime, Kay Day?" She noticed Snape's eyes followed them out  
even as he reprimanded the Gryffindors they had left behind, but she  
shrugged it off and began the trek to her first class.  
  
Kay nodded brightly, ignoring Snape's gaze as she grinned to her sister. "I can't wait till tonight," she almost yelped in excitement, though softly.  
  
May grinned, "I have to go to History of Magic now, I'll meet you at 8,  
KAy?"  
  
Kay grinned a bit impishly back and nodded, "K, May. See you then." With  
that she turned, headed to her first class as well.  
  
************************************************  
  
The castle loomed tall over the sparkling lake and town below it. And it  
was everything the man remembered it being. He could still smell the scents of adventure and camaraderie that grew stronger the closer he came  
to the ancient school of witchcraft.  
  
Laughter filled the air and the man quickly reverted to his dog form. From his view within the shadows of the old Whomping Willow, he could a group of  
older students cheerily making their way to Hagrid's old hut near the  
forest.  
  
The now dog sighed, shaking his head in nostalgic misery. He wished he  
could be a carefree pup again, free from the chains of his guilt. But thoughts like that only reminded him of his dead friends and The Traitor, Peter Pettigrew. He had to find the rat before he could hurt his godson,  
it was essential that he did so quickly.  
  
But the task would not be easy. Everyone believed that he, Sirius Black, had killed James and Lily Potter, which left him without a friend in the world. In fact, if anyone even knew he was here, he was a dead man. Worse  
than dead even, he was a soulless shell.  
  
HIISSSS!  
  
Sirius started, almost tripping over his large paws in surprise. He  
steadied himself and shifted to look over at a madly spitting orange furball of a cat standing at the edge of the madly swinging tree's reach.  
The cat was angrily hissing at Sirius as though he was a devil and not  
simply an overly large stray lab.  
  
Sirius growled at the cat, certain it would run for it, but it simply arched it's back, becoming even more of a furball than ever. Sirius barked and the cat bolted - right at Sirius' eyes. Sirius ducked and the cat flew over him, landing on his wide posterior. Sirius howled, bucking madly to  
dislodge the cat. The cat didn't budge an inch.  
  
Finally, as a last ditch effort, Sirius ran out of the tree trunk's  
protective area and into the swinging branches. Ducking and dodging he  
avoided the branches, but the cat was not so lucky. A lucky limb swung down and up, taking the cat with it. A high scream filled the air as the  
orange beast flew through the air and landed on its feet some distance away. It gave a final hiss at Sirius and limped away, a sour look on its  
ugly scrunched face.  
  
Sirius hurried back to the tree, opening the hidden passage within and trotting slowly to the Shrieking Shack. This encounter was a bad sign of  
things to come, he was sure. Or perhaps that was the influence of his prison time still affecting him. It didn't matter, just as he no longer  
mattered. The only one who mattered was his godson, Harry Potter.  
  
***************************************  
  
May quietly crept emptied her belongings out of her bag onto her bed and  
slipped her Potions book back in. Throwing the strap over head, she  
quickly positioned it for comfort, threw in a few more mischief-making materials and made her way as unobtrusively as possible from the Slytherin  
dormitory.  
  
Kay moved quickly along after her classes, and dumping her books onto her bed she began searching for a few... toys. Grinning she tossed them in her  
bag, eyes darting about to make sure no one saw her. She tossed the bag  
over her shoulder and walked slowly, trying to sneak out of her  
dormitory.without looking like she was trying to sneak.  
  
May made it out fairly easily. The other girls in her year went searching  
for her in their room shortly after May had managed to sneak into the common room. No one else seemed to care enough to pay her any mind and so  
she managed to slip out unnoticed and make her way stealthily to the  
Astronomy Tower to meet her sister.  
  
It was a long walk, with many stairs that May remembered wanting to learn a few curses for from the astronomy lesson she'd had earlier that week, but she managed to make it to the top with a minute to spare. Collapsing by  
the door, she curled up to pant and wait for her sister.  
  
May quietly crept into her dormitory and emptied the contents out of her bag onto her bed and slipped her Potions book back in. Throwing the strap  
over head, she quickly positioned it for comfort, threw in a few more  
mischief-making materials and made her way as unobtrusively as possible  
from the Slytherin dormitory.  
  
Kay moved quickly along after her classes, and dumping her books onto her bed she began searching for a few... toys. Grinning she tossed them in her  
bag, eyes darting about to make sure no one saw her. She tossed the bag  
over her shoulder and walked slowly, trying to sneak out of her  
dormitory... without looking like she was trying to sneak.  
  
May made it out fairly easily. The other girls in her year went searching  
for her in their room shortly after May had managed to sneak into the common room. No one else seemed to care enough to pay her any mind and so  
she managed to slip out unnoticed and make her way stealthily to the  
Astronomy Tower to meet her sister.  
  
It was a long walk, with many stairs that May remembered wanting to learn a few curses for from the astronomy lesson she'd had earlier that week, but she managed to make it to the top with a minute to spare. Collapsing by  
the door, she curled up to pant and wait for her sister.  
  
Kay almost darted through hallways and up stairs, but still, was running slow to get where she wanted. She wanted to get to astronomy tower as soon  
as possible, but it almost seemed further away then she remembered. She  
grinned, panting when she saw her sister. "May," she half whispered,  
grinning impishly.  
  
May grinned at her sister, her eyes twinkling in welcome, "Where are the  
twins?"  
  
Kay shrugged slightly, glancing around, "On their way is my guess."  
  
"They're late," May whispered back as she glanced at her necklace watch.  
It was already five past eight.  
  
"No, we're not, oh dear apprentices," came a jovial voice from behind them.  
"We were waiting for your arrival in here."  
  
May turned around, her eyes opening in fright as she discovered she could  
find where the voice could be coming from. "Kay!"  
  
Kay would have been amused, were her sister not frightened, and so, pulling her arms around her sister protectively she scanned with her eyes or the  
source of the voice. "In where?"  
  
Out of the shadows that lingered in the round corner by the door leading  
into the main tower room popped the Weasley twins, "In one of the many  
secret passages of Hogwarts Castle." The twins grinned down at their  
female counterparts and swept themselves down in a low bow, as though  
presenting the passageway to a pair of queens.  
  
May breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she would not be forced to finally  
face one of the infamous Hogwarts ghosts that she'd been so studiously avoiding. Standing, she almost tripped over her own feet in her hurry to  
investigate the corner the boys had come from.  
  
Kay followed quickly behind, grinning as May was now leading. She was just as curious, but, was just, sort of savoring the moment. This was so fun.  
  
One of the Weasleys chuckled, "The mouse isn't so mousey after all. I do  
believe we have picked our proteges well, brother dear."  
  
The other grinned back, "Indeed, but we still have to show them the  
grounds. We only have so many warm days left to explore outside."  
  
"Too true," the first brother replied, following the Day sisters into the  
passage. "And we have so many passages to show them before the grounds  
grow dark enough for our mischievous purposes."  
  
Kay grinned happily between her sister and the twins. She couldn't wait to  
see everything!  
  
May grinned and ran ahead in the passage against the protest of the others.  
It was dark, but she wasn't afraid. It was very interesting!  
  
Suddenly she ran into something large and furry. Falling back, May screamed. A large dark shadow reared and disappeared. She could hear the  
loud pounding of padded paws as she sat sprawled and panting loudly.  
  
Kay wrinkled her forehead, skidding to a stop right behind May, her eyes  
glared out, trying to pierce the dark for what had scared her sister.  
"May... you alright? What happened?"  
  
May nodded before she remembered that her sister probably couldn't see her,  
"I'm fine. I just ran into something big and furry."  
  
"Big and furry, eh," said one of the twins.  
  
"Sounds like they let Fluffy out to stretch his legs."  
  
Kay turned, an eyebrow going up ever so slightly. "Fluffy?"  
  
"Hagrid's giant three-headed dog," answered a twin as he worked his way  
towards May.  
  
"Yeah, gave Harry a bit of trouble his first year," said the other, now  
kneeling by Kay.  
  
"Not to mention good ol' Snape," laughed the first, startling May with his  
nearness.  
  
May grinned as she imagined her staunch Head of House having trouble with anything. He almost seemed too...too strong. She looked back at the older  
twins, "So... Are we going, or what?"  
  
Fred grinned, "Yeah, c'mon. We'll introduce you to the House Elves."  
  
Kay tilted her head lightly as she moved to follow. "House elves," she  
asked curiously, eyes alight at the various figures envisioned by that  
description...  
  
"Yeah," George said as he brought up the rear. "Strange looking little  
guys who live to serve."  
  
George laughed, "Yeah, and pity the poor one who makes them think they  
failed to please!"  
  
May laughed as well, but her mind kept wandering back to the whatever she had seen earlier. Maybe it had been a giant dog? It had felt dog-like...  
  
"What are we going to the kitchens for anyway," she asked finally, trying  
to re direct her thoughts.  
  
"Well, I figured we might make friends with the Elves and pick up some sweets to keep up our energy," Fred replied as he ducked around a corner.  
  
"Yes, the Forbidden Forest is not the nicest of places,  
after all," George agreed.  
  
May's eyes grew wide and she stopped suddenly, causing a back-up in the  
passage. She ignored Fred and Kay indignant "Ow!" in favor of staring  
straight ahead into the darkness. "B-but I thought that place was  
dangerous."  
  
Kay grinned rather brightly, nudging May, "C'mon, can't be too dangerous  
for all of us together, besides, it'll be fun!"  
  
"Oh no," George said with a grin. "It's dangerous. What with the  
werewolves and giant spiders and all."  
  
His brother's eyes twinkled mischievously as he nodded his agreement, "But  
if you don't want to go..."  
  
"No," May and Kay exclaimed together.  
  
"I mean, what else is in the forest," May asked, running to catch Fred and hurry him along the passage. The feel of the book in her bag backing her sister's reasoning to give her even more courage than even her normal avid  
curiosity did.  
  
Kay grinned, bobbing her head a bit in agreement with the question, her curiosity almost as sharp as her sister's, though it was the thrill of the  
danger that really made her want to go.  
  
George grinned at the sisters, "That's the ticket! Adventures await us in those woods! And also centaurs, vampires, unicorns and I heard Harry met  
You-Know-Who in there two years ago."  
  
Kay had heard the phrase You-Know-Who far too many times, and as of yet had anyone explain. "Actually," she began at a half-quip, "we don't know who."  
Her voice was both mischievous, and incredibly curious at once, bright  
green eys shining out with the same qualities.  
  
A loud thump was heard both behind and in front of the girls as well as a  
loud "YIPE" from May as she tripped over Fred's prone body.  
  
"You--" George started incredulously.  
  
"--don't know who You-Know-Who is," Fred finished in just as astonished a tone as his brother. They shook their heads and Fred sighed. "He was just  
the most evil wizard to ever live. He even gave Dumbledore problems and  
Dumbledore's the greatest wizard since MERLIN."  
  
Kay moved on instinct alone to reach May when she tripped. She glanced in  
the direction of the boy's voices. "Oh," she mouthed softly, suddenly intrigued, about this You-Know-Who. "But...what's his name," she questioned curiously, almost innocently, head cocked to the side though they probably  
couldn't see it.  
  
There was a pause as the twins thought in horrified silence at how to answer the seemingly innocent question. "I don't think it matters," Fred  
finally answered.  
  
"No one uses it. And it's considered bad to say it," agreed his brother.  
  
"How much further," May asked, remembering something she'd heard about You- Know Who from her dorm and not wanting to find out more. She wanted to have  
fun, not have a history lesson!  
  
Kay was always inquisitive, but learning had never been a key interest of hers, however this intrigued her, more because she could learn no more then  
any valid curiosity. She let her attention shift with May's though, shrugging off the virtual 'do not enter' sign that tempted her, "Yeah, how  
much?"  
  
The brothers breathed a barely audible sigh of relief and said, almost as  
one, "Not far. We're almost there."  
  
Kay bobbed her head up and down in a nod of delight, grinning. Later she would venture to find out the unnamed evil wizard's name, but only later. For now that was passed, now she could focus on the adventures that awaited  
them.  
  
"What are we gonna do first," May asked excitedly, her eyes twinkling as  
mischievously as Dumbledore's must have when he was young.  
  
The Weasley twins laughed before George answered, "We're just gonna show you around tonight. We'll go straight out since we wasted so much time in  
here."  
  
Fred shot a look at his brother before continuing, "We want to introduce the forest to you. And the Whomping Willow. Can't show you Hogwarts without  
showing you the Whoming Willow!"  
  
Kay's eyes lit up and her not quite innocent grin brightened. Her head  
tilting to the side once more she spoke, "I like the sound of that..  
Whomping Willow, what's a whomping willow?"  
  
Fred chuckled, "The Whomping Willow is a tree that likes to try and pummel  
whatever wanders too close. Ron flew our car into it last year and we  
haven' seen it since!"  
  
"Mind you," Fred added. "That might not be a bad thing. Ron said there wasn't much left of it after that tree got done with it. And what was left  
just rolled off into the Forest to become a Wild Magic Creature."  
  
May eyes opened wide and her pace quickened, "Wow..."  
  
Kay's eyes went every bit as wide as May's, though she offered even less of  
a response then her in her stunned mixture of awe and surprise.  
  
Suddenly a cool breeze lifted May's black hair and then she was outside on the moonlit castle grounds. Quickly she ran out into the open and began to  
twirl. "Kay! It's beautiful here!"  
  
Kay laughed softly, nodding as her eyes drifted about in awe, "Yeah, May...  
it is... so many possibilities for adventure."  
  
May laughed a laugh hat held the pure joy of a born mischief maker. "Let's  
go!" she called as she ran quickly away towards the Forest.  
  
"Hey! Wait," the twins called after her, but she ignored them and ran over  
the grass and into the nearest stretch of forest.  
  
Kay yelped, "May," she darted after her sister, seeking, but unable to  
find.  
  
May finally came to a stop as she tripped over a tree root. Moaning, she pushed herself up, attempting to stand. Pain lanced through her leg from  
her ankle and she flopped back to ground. Twisting she tried to see her foot, but her view was blocked by a large tree root and she couldn't see  
it. She settled back and resorted to her usual plan B: she sobbed, "KAY  
DAY!"  
  
A rustle next to her head startled her back into awareness of her  
surroundings and she finally remembered the dangers of this forest. Her eyes opened wide and her heart began to pound as her tummy clenched in on itself in fear. Whimpering, May edged back away from the sound as much as  
her trapped leg would allow. A large black shape stepped out from the  
foliage and May gasped before screaming, "HELP!"  
  
Frantically, May began struggling against her shackle, sobbing all the while as she was certain she was about to be eaten. Gentle hands startled  
her out of her haze of terror and she stilled to stare up into the dark eyes of a haggard and quite dirty man. His hair was long, black and filled with tangles and the remains of a forest-floor bed. His skin was sunken and rather grayish, as though he was not eating enough. May knew she should be afraid of this man, but something told her it would be all right. Quietly, she watched him move down to her ankle and free it from its shackle. May  
imagined she could hear the tree scream in frustrated protest.  
  
"Thank you," May said quietly as she watched the man feel around her foot.  
  
The man barely acknowledge her before reaching up and tearing a strip of  
cloth from the hem of her black robes. She squeaked in protest, but the  
man's gentle, callused hands held her still.  
  
"To help the bleeding," the man told her, binding her ankle with the cloth.  
  
May nodded and moved to sit up properly from the awkward position she'd  
been in.  
  
"Why were you out here," the man asked in a croaky voice, moving quickly to prevent May from falling over and injuring herself. "Even if you are Muggle-  
born, you must already know the forest is off-limits."  
  
"I--I--" May stammered, "I ran ahead. The twins were showing us around."  
  
"Us," the man asked suddenly, looking slightly nervous at the revelation.  
  
"May Day," shouted Kay, searching for her sister, eyes darting about, seeking. "May Day!!" It was then that she tripped, skidding across dirt, suddenly finding herself looking upwards and forwards to where May sat with  
a man. She pulled herself to her feet quickly, eyeing the man.  
  
"Who are you," she snapped in question, making certain whoever this was  
didn't hurt her sister.  
  
The man stared at the girl that seemed identical in every way to the one he had just helped, except... There was something different about this girl  
from the one he had already met.  
  
"KAY DAY," May cried happily, attempting to stand. Her hurt foot gave under  
her weight and she fell right into the arms of her unnamed savior.  
  
"May," she yelped, darting forward to help her sister, "What happened to  
your leg?" Again she eyed the man with a glare, "and who is this?"  
  
"He saved me, Kay," May told her sister. "I fell and that root," She pointed at the offending object, "took me prisoner! But he rescued me and bandaged my ankle." She looked thoughtful for a moment, "But I don' know  
who he is."  
  
Kay just tilted her head, glare shifting to a look of questioning as she  
awaited an answer from him.  
  
"Padfoot," the man said, his voice creaking as though from disuse. He began to settle May more comfortably on his lap and he returned to checking out  
May's ankle.  
  
"Thank you, Uncle Padfoot," May chirped, happy to have her sister with her  
now.  
  
Padfoot chuckled, "Let me guess. Twins separated into separate houses?"  
  
Kay nodded, blinking a bit, "Yeah... how'd you guess?"  
  
May stared up at Padfoot in amazement as he answered, "Your personalities.  
What houses?"  
  
"We're in Gryffindor and Slytherin," May told him. She bit her lip as his  
fingers pressed a sore spot.  
  
The man looked up sharply at the twins, shock evident in his eyes. Then he  
smiled as he again looked them over with searching eyes, "Are you in Gryffindor and you in Slytherin?" He pointed first at May and then at Kay.  
  
Kay and May just started giggling, Kay finally managed to shake her head,  
"Just a bit off Padfoot."  
  
Padfoot stared at Kay incredulously before turning his wide eyes on the  
innocent face of her sister. "The old hat must have gone senile..." he  
breathed.  
  
May giggled in response and whined, very expertly, "It separated us!"  
  
Padfoot shook his head and answered by standing and placing May gingerly on  
her feet. "How does that feel?" Tears welled in May's eyes at the sharp  
pains that were shooting up her leg. Padfoot sighed and he motioned Kay over, "You're going to have to help her back. And go slowly or you'll hurt  
it again."  
  
Kay nodded, moving over to support May. Adventure didn't matter now, seeing  
May back safely did. "Thanks for your help," she replied softly.  
  
"May! Kay," came the older twins voices just before they shoved there way  
into the small clearing. Both boys looked worried and as tough they had  
just run a mile full-speed as they panted before the little girls.  
  
"Fred! George," May replied happily. "Look who we met!" She and Kay turned  
to point at a very large black dog. The dog barked once at them, before  
turning and disappearing into the forest.  
  
"Blimey..." one of the twins said, May wasn't sure which, "That's a big  
dog!"  
  
Kay grinned slightly and bobbed her head in an enthusiastic nod, not even phased by the change, not for the moment at least. She leaned close to May,  
whispering, "I wanna be able to do that!"  
May grinned and nodded in enthusiastically agreement. "But I wanna be a  
cat! Or a wolf," May whispered back.  
  
"Are you guys ok," the boys asked, breaking into the sister's conversation.  
  
Kay decided they'd finish later, glancing back to the Weasleys, "Yeah..  
well, mostly, May's leg got hurt..."  
  
"What," the boys cried together, scrambling forward to look at her ankle.  
  
"Bloody hell, that's gonna be tricky to hide!" Fred moaned the last and was  
smacked upside the head by his brother.  
  
"We'll just take her to Pomphrey. She never asks questions. Even when  
Hermione managed to turn herself into a werecat," George told him. He stepped forward and gallantly swept May into his arms. "My lady! You need  
to go on a diet."  
  
May wrapped her arms around the older, laughing, "Kay, I found my prince!"  
  
"She must need glasses," Fred joked and ran ahead to make sure Hagrid was  
nowhere nearby and escape the wrath of his brother.  
  
A/N:  
  
Wow. It's been a while since we posted! Sorry! But since it's two of us writing, it's tough to find time in which we can get together and write. Hopefully, this (and others of AngelZash's stories at least) will be updated more regularly from now on.  
  
Also, I have other news. I'm no longer going to email individual updates to people. Rather I'm going to create a mailing list to tell people whenever a story has been updated. So if you wanna be notified as to an update, tell me in a review of email and GIVE ME THE EMAIL ADDRESS YOU WANT USED IN THE BODY OF THE MESSAGE. I WILL NOT GO LOOKING FOR IT. I'll probably be using topica, which is a free mailing service and not hard to join if you are not already a member. I like them better than yahoo as they send messages faster and are easier to use. I just have to remember my password.  
  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story! We were really looking forward to writing Sirius and his meeting with the Twins. From now on, he's going to be a BIG part of the story. 


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